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How the Tories are trying to make it impossible for Labour to win again

There are three notable ways in which the Tories are planning to tilt the system in their favour – and make it even harder for Labour to win next time.

Boundary changes

The Conservatives signalled immediately after their victory that they intended to pursue the boundary changes vetoed by the Lib Dems in 2013. Their plan to base the new constituencies on electoral registration, rather than population, means that Labour would be hit hardest.

Allowing expatriates to vote for life

A new Votes for Life Bill will abolish the current 15-year limit on UK expatriates voting in general elections. The Tories have presented the move as merely ending an “unfair” rule but there are political calculations at work. No age group is more likely to vote Conservative than the over-65s, who account for a disproportionate share of expatriates.

Forcing trade unionists to opt-in to the political levy

The Trade Unions Bill being piloted by Business Secretary Sajid Javid includes a measure consciously designed to hit funding for Labour. Under the legislation, union members will be required to opt-in to paying the political levy, rather than being automatically enrolled (and having the right to opt-out). The result, as when the change was last imposed in 1927 following the general strike, is likely to be a significant drop in subscriptions.

By reducing the size of unions’ political funds, which are used to support Labour among other activities, the reform will strengthen the Tories’ already vast funding advantage.

It took until 1946 and the Attlee government for the opt-in system to be scrapped after 1927 – the Tories’ changes are designed to ensure that Labour has to wait as long this time.

9 thoughts on “How the Tories are trying to make it impossible for Labour to win again”

I cannot understand why expats should be allowed to vote in the UK for life. Why should they be allowed to have influence over elections when they neither live in the country or pay taxes? If they have lived in a country for over 15 years they will have citizenship and voting rights in that country – which is fair enough – but why give someone the right to vote in say New Zealand and the UK?

The AV referendum was the biggest wasted opportunity of the Coalition – Clegg should have fought hard for a better deal – instead of agreeing to a ‘miserable little compromise’. When it came down to the coalition negotiations Clegg blinked first.

Surely if someone’s living abroad they should lose voting rights unless they then return to live. You either live in this country or you don’t. If you do whether you’re an immigrant, prisoner or whatever you should have a vote in how it’s run.

The fact that you live abroad does not mean that you are no longer a British Citizen. Many Westminster policies affect ex-pats so it is in their interests to have a vote. They currently still receive pensions as they would at home. However, Tory policy changes mean that they will be frozen at the value when they move abroad, if they are lucky to receive them at all. The Tories are also stopping certain public employees from being able to transfer their pensions abroad. The result of an EU exit would severely affect those living in the Euro zone. There are many more issues that would affect them so they should be able to vote for a party they feel will support them.

They will do this to keep the status quo as it is, as it is favouring the right, the new Lib Dem leader should put his money where his mouth is and stand up against them alongside Labour, the Greens and everyone else so they don’t get their way again!

If union members are going to have to opt in to the political donations the unions make to the Labour party, shouldn’t the same apply to shareholders having to opt in to political donations made by companies to the Tory party?

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